ARDMORE

city, seat (1907) of Carter county, southern Oklahoma, U.S., north of the Red River, near Lake Texoma and the Texas state line. Founded in 1887 in Chickasaw Indian Territory after the arrival of the Santa Fe Railway, the town was named for the Philadelphia, Pa., suburb that was the home of a Santa Fe official. It developed as the business centre of a large cattle and farming region and grew rapidly after the discovery of oil nearby in 1905. Oil refining, manufacturing, ranching, tourism, and wholesaling are the major economic activities of the city. Ardmore is the site of Carter Seminary for Chickasaw Indian Girls (formerly Hargrove College; Methodist, founded 1895). Lake Murray State Park and the Chickasaw National Recreation Area (embracing Arbuckle Mountains) are nearby. Inc. 1898. Pop. (1990) 23,079.